Poetry Terms
Term
free verse
line
meter
refrain
repetition
rhyme
Definition
Poetry that has no fixed pattern of meter, rhyme, line length, or
stanza arrangement. Although poets who write free verse ignore
traditional rules, they use techniques such as repetition and
alliteration to create musical patterns in their poems.
The basic unit of poetry. A line may consist of a word or a row of
words.
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives
a line of poetry a predictable rhythm
A line or lines repeated regularly, usually in a poem or a song
The recurrence of sounds, words, phrases, lines, or stanzas.
Writers use repetition to emphasize an important point, to
expand upon an idea, to help create rhythm, and to increase the
feeling of unity in a work.
The repetition of similar or identical sounds at the ends of words
that appear close to each other.
end rhyme
End rhyme occurs at the ends of lines.
internal rhyme
Internal rhyme occurs within a single line.
slant rhyme
Slant rhyme occurs when words include sounds that are similar
but not identical. Slant rhyme usually involves some variation of
consonance (the repetition of consonant sounds) or assonance
(the repetition of vowel sounds).
The pattern of rhyme formed by the end rhyme in a stanza or a
poem. Rhyme scheme is designated by the assignment of a
different letter of the alphabet to each rhyme. For example, one
common rhyme scheme is ababcb.
The pattern of beats created by the arrangement of stressed and
unstressed syllables, especially in poetry. Rhythm gives poetry a
musical quality that helps convey its meaning. Rhythm can be
regular, with a predictable pattern or meter, or irregular.
A group of lines forming a unit in a poem. Stanzas are, in effect,
the paragraphs of a poem. Typically, stanzas are separated by a
line of space.
rhyme scheme
rhythm
stanza
Compiled from Glencoe Course 1 Texas Treasures